Starter for engines.



a. B. SINCLAIR.

STARTER FOR ENGINES. APPLICATION FILEDIJULY 1,1912.

1, 1 37,358, Patented Apr. 27, 1915.

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5 Fig d THE NORRIS PETERS Cll, FHOTO-LITHO.. WASf-HNGTON, D, C.

G. B. SINCLAIR.

STARTER FOR ENGINES. APPLICATION FILED JULY 1, 1912;

Z SHEETS-SHEET 2.

1,137,358. Patented Apr. 27, 1915.

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GEORGE B. SINCLAIR, OF GEORGETOWN, MAINE.

STARTER FOR ENGINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 27, 1915.

Application filed July 1, 1912. Serial No. 706,911.

' To all whom it may concern Be it known that 'I, GEORGE B. SINCLAIR, a citizen of the United States and a resident of Georgetown, in the county of Sagadahoc and State of Maine, have invented'certain new and useful Improvements inStarters for Engines, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is the construction of improved means for starting internal combustion engines, and, while specifically designed for automobile engines, it is equally applicable to power boats, stationary engines using either gas or gasolene, and other prime movers.

My invention consists essentially in providing means whereby a springwound by the engine while in motion can be utilized for starting the engine whenever desired.

While this appears to be very simple, it is quite a difficult thing to work out practically,"

since the spring must not be wound up beyond a safe'limit, but must instantly be re leased from the engine the instant such limit is'reach'ed; after such winding, the spring must be held there; and must be capable of instant coupling to the engine when the latter is to be started, and of rotating the latter in the proper direction for a few turns and then being automatically released therefrom.

Referring to the drawings forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a side view, partially in section, of an engine starter em-. bodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a face view of the spring 'drum. Fig. 3 is a sectional detail view of one of the clutch members. Fig. 4 is a view of a portion of a cooperating member of said clutch member. Fig. 5 is a detail view of the automatic circuit closing device and operative parts. Fig. 6 isaperspective view illustrating certain details in connection with the electrically controlled connecting devices. Fig. 7 is a sectional view of a part of the same. Fig. 8 is a view of one of the clutch members. Fig.- 9 is a central longitudinal sectional view through av portion of the elements illustrated in Fig. 1.

In Fig. 1, the reference numeral 1 designates the shaft of the internal combustion engine which is to be started; 2 is the flywheel thereof, and 3 the drum containing the spring 1 whose potential power is to be utilized. Said drum is loose on the shaft and alsoloose on the clutch sleeve 5, which sleeve 5 is slidably journaled upon the shaft 1 and the spring has one end fastened to the drum and the other end to the sleeve, as shown in Fig. 2.

In general, the operation of the starter is as follows: Power for winding said spring is communicated from said fiy-wheel through a finger 6 fixed thereto to a longitudinally movable spur 7 carried by the wheel 9, journaled upon the shaft 1 and from said wheel through a finger 1O rigid therewith to a finger l1 rigid with said drum, said clutch sleeve being at the time disengaged from a clutch connection with said wheel, and in clutch engagement with a fixed clutch mem ber 12 so that said sleeve will not turn. Consequently, after a limited number of revolutions of the shaft, the spring will be su'fiiciently wound.

By means hereinafter set forth, the in stant the proper number of revolutions has been imparted to the drum 3 and the spring suitably wound, said movable spur 7 is withdrawn from its engagement with the finger 6 so that the shaft continues its motion without affecting said spring any further. The

spring tends, of course, to unwind to its normal position, but by forming a section of the rim of the wheel 9 with teeth 13 and providing a detent 14 pivoted to any suitable support, said wheel cannot turn backward but holds the spring in its wound condition. I Y

Now Whenever the engine stops and it is to be started, the clutch sleeve 5 is released fromthe fixed clutch member 12 and 'engaged with the clutchmember 15 which is keyed on said shaft 1, as at 74 but turns freely within the wheel 9, said wheel being journaled upon the shaft 1 between said clutch member 15 and a collar 75 fixed to the shaft 1 between the wheel 9 and the fly wheel.

A packing collar 73 is secured to the shaft within the clutch member 15. The spring being now no longer held by said fixed clutch member, but being still held at one elements: Referring to Fig. 6, it will be seen that said spur is formed with an arm 16 pivoted on the spindle 17 supported by the wheel 9, a spring 19 normally holding the spur in its illustrated position. The spur is held against the pressure of the finger 6 already referred to, by the engagement of its inner end 20 with the shoulder 21 of the latch 22 which is supported on a spindle 23 and normally retained in its illustrated position by a light spring 24. Inasmuch as the strong pressure of the spur against the shoulder 20 will release it therefrom if the latch is not confined in its illustrated position, a lock 25 is provided which is pivoted at 26 and yieldingly held in its illustrated position by a spring 27. The shoulder 29 of said lock supports the pressure of the latch and the action of said spur.

A pivotally supported armature 30 having a finger 31 engaging said lock and controlled by an electromagnet 32, serves to release the latch from the lock the instant the magnet is energized. As the latch flies back under the pressure of the spur 7 thus released, its finger 33 is caught behind the finger 31 of the armature and retained in such position against the urging of its spring 24, since the energizing of said magnet is arranged to be but momentary andthe spring 27 has returned the lock 25 and armature 30 to their illustrated positions in time to catch the latch before its return. The spring 34 is a very slender one and designed simply to keep the armature in contact with the lock 25. For energizing said electromagnet 32, the following arrangement is devised: :The parts being as illustrated in Fig. 6, with the exception of the clutch operating lever 28, and the spur 7 being supported to cause the rotation of the wheel 9 and hence of the drum 3, the spring within the latter will be wound through the energy of the engine. It is necessary, however, to disengage said spur the moment the spring has received; its proper number of winds. To this end, the energization of the electromagnet '32 is effected through means controlled by a specified number of turns of the wheel 9. To do this, said wheel is provided with a single tooth 35 (Fig. 5) followed and preceded by a slight recess, but the remainder of the periphery is smooth and contacting with two teeth of the spur gear 36. So long as this contact is maintained, said gear cannot turn, but upon the passage of said tooth the gear, will receive a limited segmental movement.

Rigid with said gear is a circular insulating surface exposing a single contact point '37, a stationary brush 39 being adapted to complete a circuit with said electromagnet whenever said brush and point meet. Hence the instant the wheel 9 has communicated the specified number of segmental movements to said gear to present said point 37 brush 53, wire 54, brush 55, contact 56 (Fig. i

1), wire 57, switch 58 and a short connection back to said source40. The instant said electromagnet is thus energized, the latch 22 is released, and as it flies back under the V impulse of the spur 7, the bridging contact 49 leaves the brushes 47,50, and thus demagnetizes said electromagnet, permitting the lock 25 to engage and hold the latch in its new position. These parts remain in such condition, with the spring fully wound, as-

long as desired, with the exception that, to save current, the switch 58 is opened. When the engine is at rest and it is desired to start it, all that needs to be done is to throw the clutch lever 28 over to the position illustrated in Fig. 6, and thereby to disengage the clutch sleeve 5 from the stationary clutch member 12 and to engage it with the clutch member 15, which, it will be remembered, is keyed on the shaft 1 but independentof the wheel 9. The latter being held fromturning backward by the pawl or de: tent 14, similarly holds the drum 3 andso causes the energy of the spring to be com municated to the clutch member 15 and shaft 1, and the engine to be rotated until Well started. Ordinary clutchescannot be used here,: for then the instant the clutch sleeve was disengaged from the stationary clutch member and before it could be engaged with the clutch member 15, it would instantly unwind and produce no useful work. To obviate this, one of the clutches of the clutch sleeve is provided with pivoted ribs 60 resiliently pressed outward, as shown in Fig. 3. Hence before the clutch members at one end of the sleeve have parted company, the resiliently held clutchribs will have engaged the associated clutch member, and by their yielding permit the clutch sleeve to move still farther along until the other clutch members have been wholly disconnected. After the engine is, thus start ed, the clutch lever is returned to its position shown in Fig. 1; the switch 58 is closed and the latch released from its lastdescribed position. To enable this closing of the switch to thus affect said latch, an-v other circuit is provided, which, while the same as that previously described from the source to the electromagnet 32, has for its return apart of the wire 46, wire 61, insulated contact ring 62, brush 63, wire 64,

contact 65,- brushes 66 and 55, contact 67 and wire 57 back to the source. The latch 22 being now in its position illustrated in Fig. 6, with the spur 7' having been returned by its spring 19 into engagement with the shoulder 21 of said latch, the fingerfi .of the fly-wheel comes into contact with said spur andproceeds to wind up the spring 4: in themanner already described.

The contact rings 14,- 52, and 62 are fixedly mounted upon the periphery of the hub X projecting centrally from the wheel 9, While the clutch member 15 is free within said hub. This allows the ring to rotate with the wheel 9 and allows for the permanent wiring 45, 51, and 61.

It should be noted that the clutch member 15 does not have square sided ribs 70 like the ribs 71 of the clutch member 12 (Fig. 8), but the former are what may be termed ratchet ribs, as shown in Fig. 4;, so

i that after the engine has started and before to wit the clutch sleeve can be thrownout of engagement with said clutch member 15, said ratchet ribs will slide over the yielding ribs 60'and so not rotate the sleeve and spring with the engine.

Although I have above described the clutch sleeve 5 as provided with resiliently pressed ribs 60 at one end alone, I prefer to have such ribs at both ends of the sleeve, in order to insure that when the sleeve is thrown over toward the fixed clutch 12 there may be no danger of the 'sleeves clutch failing to enter the clutch member 12, as might be the case were the ribs non-resilient and should such ribs of one member longitudinally impinge against the ends ofthe ribs of the other member.

What I claim as my invention and for which I desire Letters Patent is as follows,

1.-A starting device for engines comprising-a shaft rotatably connected with an engine, a drum loosely mounted on said shaft, means for communicating rotary motion 5 from said shaft to said drum, means for disconnecting the same, a clutch sleeve loosely mounted on said shaft, means for longitudinally moving said sleeve on said shaft, a spring terminally attached to said sleeve and drum, clutch members at the ends of said sleeve, a stationary clutch member adapted to be engaged by one of the clutch members of said sleeve, and a clutch member fixed on said shaft and adapted to be engaged by a clutch member of said sleeve, said clutch members being adapted to permit the clutch sleeve to engage with the clutch member fixed to the shaft while still in engagement with the stationary clutch member.

2. The combination with an engine, of a shaft connected therewith, a clutch sleeve loosely mounted on said shaft, means for longitudinally shifting said sleeve, a drum rotatably mounted on said sleeve, a coiled spring terminally attached to said sleeve and drum, a stationary clutch member adapted to be engaged by said clutch sleeve, a clutch clutch sleeve loosely mounted thereon, a stationary clutch member adapted to be engaged by one end of said sleeve, a spring terminally attached to said sleeve, means for winding said spring and holding it in a wound condition, a clutch member fixed on said shaft, and means. for slidably shifting said sleeve, one end of said sleeve being provided' with pivoted resiliently supported ribs,

and the clutch member cooperating therewith being formed with ratchet ribs, where by said clutch sleeve can be made to engage one clutch member, before being entirely disconnected from the other.

4. A- starter for engines comprising a shaft, a fly-wheel fixed thereon, a wheel loose on said shaft and having a movable spur, a finger rigid with said fly-wheel and adapted to engage said spur, a spring adapted to be wound by said wheels rotation, means for retaining "saidspring in a wound condition, means for transmitting motion from said wheel to said shaft, and means for releasing said spur after a predetermined number of turns of said wheel.

5. A starter for engines comprising a shaft, 2. wheel loose on said shaft and having a movable spur, means for transmitting motion from said wheel to said shaft, means rigid with said shaft for engaging said spur and turning said wheel, a spring wound by .said wheel, means for holding said spring in its wound condition, a latch normally locking said spur in its engaging position, an electromagnct, means actuated by the energizing of said electromagnet to release said latch,.and means for delivering energizing current to said electromagnet after a predetermined number of turns of said wheel.

6. A starter for engines comprising a shaft, a wheel loose on said shaft and having a movable spur, means for transmitting motion from said wheel to said shaft, means rigid with said shaft for engaging said spur and turning said wheel, a spring wound by said wheel, means for holding said spring in its wound condition, a latch normally locking said spur in its engaging position, an electromagnet, means actuated by the energizing of said electromagnet to release said spur from said latch, a source of our- &

rent, a rotatable member adapted to be rotated once by several rotations of said wheel, a contact carried by said member, a stationary brush reached by said contact at I each rotation of said member, and a circuit embracing said electromagnet, source, contact and brush.

7. A starter for engines comprising a shaft, a wheel loose on said shaft and having a movable spur, means for transmitting motion from-said wheel to said shaft, means rigid with said shaft for engaging said spur and turning said wheel, a spring Wound by said wheel, means for holding said spring in its wound condition, a latch normally locking said spur in its engaging position, an armature, a lock for said latch controlled by said armature, an electromagnet controlling said armature, and means for energizing said electromagnet.

8. A starter for engines comprising a V shaft, a wheel loose on said shaft and having a movable spur, means for transmitting mo tion from said wheel to said shaft, means rigid with said shaft for engaging said spur and turning said wheel, a latch for said spur, an electromagnet controlling said latch, means for automatically energizing said electromagnet v after a predetermined number of revolutions of said wheel, and immediately thereafter demagnetizing it, a spring, means for winding said spring actuated by the predetermined rotations of said wheel, and means for holding said spring in its wound condition.

9. A starter for engines comprising a shaft, a wheel loose on said shaft and having a movable spur, means rigid with said shaft for engaging said spur and turning said wheel, an electromagnet controlling said spur, a clutch sleeve loose on said shaft, a stationary clutch member adapted to be engaged by one end of said sleeve, a clutch member adapted to be engaged by the other end of said sleeve, a drum loosely mounted on said sleeve, a spiral spring terminally attached to said sleeve and drum, a movable member for shifting said sleeve into clutch engagement with either of said clutch members, insulated contacts carried by said sleeve-shifting member, stationary brushes cooperating with said contacts, a switch, a source of current wired to said switch, con- Copies nections between two of said contacts and said switch, connections between said brushes and electromagnet, connections between the other of said contacts and said electromagnet, a stationary brush wired to said electromagnet, a contact in circuit with said current-source and means for closing the circuit through the last-named contact and the last-named brush after. a predetermined number of revolutions of said wheel.

10. A starter for engines comprising a shaft, a wheel loose on said shaft and having a movable spur, means rigid with said shaft for engaging said spur and turning said wheel, a latch having a shoulder engaged by said spur, a lock for said latch, an armature controlling said lock, springs for returning said latch, lock, armature and spur to their normal positions, anelectromagnet controlling said armature, a bridging contact carried by said latch, insulated brushes in touch with said contact when said latch is in its normal position, a source of current, 7

11. An engine starter comprising a shaft,

a clutch sleeve loosely mounted thereon, a stationary clutch member adapted to be engaged by one end of said sleeve, a spring terminally attached to said sleeve, means for winding said spring and holding it in a wound condition, a clutch member fixed on said shaft, and means for'slidably shifting said sleeve, the ends of said sleeve being provided with resiliently yielding clutchribs.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing invention, I have hereunto set my hand this 28 day of June, 1912.

GEORGE B. SINCLAIR. V \Vitnesses:

A. B. UPHAM, GEORGE 1F. WALES.

of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

